Funding for Results

1. To use technology to enhance active learning

§ To provide all nursing students the opportunity to analyze abnormal assessments in a realistic yet safe simulated environment via interactive CD‑ ROM, so that they can accurately diagnose and treat real patients in clinical settings.

§ To provide on‑going, enhanced hands‑on experiences with computer technology for Block III students training to become elementary teachers.

§ To make StarLab (a state‑of‑the‑art portable planetarium) available to university faculty for use in the teaching of StarLab topics and expand the University's service mission by making StarLab available to elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the southeast Missouri region.

§ To acquaint graduate students with the wide range of commercial voice output communication devices and provide hands‑on training in their use; to provide training in the evaluation of persons who may be candidates for a personal voice output communication device, adapted computer, and/or environmental control system; and to prepare clinicians to treat clients in need of augmentative/alternative communication systems.

§ To develop videotapes and interactive CD‑ROM disks to assist pre service teachers in analyzing fundamental movement skills effectively and to involve students in the use of cutting‑edge technology.

§ To support faculty development efforts focused on creating course web pages.

2. To provide experiential learning opportunities

§ To provide a more fully experiential learning environment for cell and molecular biology majors.

§ To give students in the opportunity to become involved in activities and events with Native Americans.

§ To prove it is a more effective method of teaching physical science laboratory.

§ To improve the learning and performance skills of dance students; to increase breadth and diversity of the students’ knowledge base; and to improve recruitment and retention of under represented students.

To improve students’ communications and critical thinking skillsTo elicit engaged participation to practice the critical thinking, valuing, and communication skills as current issues with personal and societal relevance are addressed through the integration of issues of HIV into the liberal arts curriculum

# To improve the reading skills of targeted students through the creation of a reading assistance component of the Writing Center.

# To enhance the development of students' oral communication skills across the curriculum.\

2. To promote student success

# To encourage Southeast undergraduate and graduate students to present their research in a professional manner; and to encourage students who are not presenting research to attend the conference in order to inspire them to collaborate with faculty on research.

# To improve the academic and social integration of first‑year students; to enhance their academic performance; to expand their intellectual skills; to foster strong relationships among them and their instructors; to improve retention; and to increase their persistence‑to‑graduation

# To increase the retention rate of at‑risk criminal justice majors by increasing the GPAs of program participants and the number of criminal justice students that pass the Writing Proficiency Examination.

# To provide under prepared students the opportunity to improve their academic skills and gain admittance to the University.

D. Results obtained (FY1999)

1. To use technology to enhance active learning

# To provide all nursing students the opportunity to analyze abnormal assessments in a realistic yet safe simulated environment via interactive CD‑ ROM, so that they can accurately diagnose and treat real patients in clinical settings.

# Block III students are becoming more comfortable with using technology in the classroom and are less afraid of taking a chance with something new. More than 170 education students have had access to hardware and software, and more than 40 checked out equipment to take into the schools.

# Thirteen university faculty, nine of whom became teacher trainers, and seventeen K-12 teachers were trained in the use of StarLab. StarLab was used in eight K-12 schools by eleven teachers. Anecdotal evaluations were very positive and point to increased student motivation and enhanced learning. The FFR grant was a catalyst in the award of Eisenhower funds for the continuation of the project. Star lab was not used on campus despite demonstrated faculty interest since there was no place to leave it assembled and it was not practicable to assemble and disassemble it for a one hour class.

# Pre and post testing of graduate students in Augmentative and Alternative Communication found an average score gain of 19.36 (From 65.32 to 84.68). The goal to prepare clinicians to treat clients in need of augmentative/alternative communication systems was achieved.

# The project to develop videotapes and interactive CD‑ROM disks to assist pre service teachers in analyzing fundamental movement skills effectively received an extension so final results have not been reported. However preliminary results gathered from student assessments have been positive.

# The FFR project has stimulated a significant change in the campus' learning culture through an increase in course web pages. Nearly 50 faculty participated in web page workshops. Students surveyed in courses using web pages reported the following benefits: substantially increased access to course materials, much greater convenience in obtaining course information and submitting assignments, a positive impact on learning course information and concepts; and increased interaction between themselves and their peers and instructors. Several cautions emerged from the student surveys: web pages laid on top of rather than integrated with a course can result in a perceived unfair increase in workload, and commuter students without home computers find that course web pages make learning less convenient. In general, faculty who have been involved in the project responded positively to the use of web pages to support courses. They reported increased interaction with the students, new thinking about course content and delivery, and easier management of some course components (e.g., electronic grade books, on‑line submission of assignments).

1. To provide experiential learning opportunities

# The project to provide a more fully experiential learning environment for cell and molecular biology majors received an extension so final results have not been reported.

# Approximately 200 Indians were hosted by the University during the 2nd SEMO POWWOW. The attendance at this one day event was approximately 4,600 people. Comments from our Indian guests were extremely favorable to our University. An unexpected event was the great interest showed by a Comanche elder in our University community who stayed after the powwow and worked with University Studies classes. Approximately 2,080 students were directly impacted. Participation in the project increased student awareness of the modern Cherokees in southeast Missouri, as well as numerous other tribal groups.

# Certain physical concepts are more likely to be understood when activities include hands-on portable collection devices. The post tests of students in sections of Physical Concepts which used calculator‑based laboratory equipment were statistically different at the 91% level from the pre-tests. Comparing the composite pretest to the post-test of the control group showed with a confidence level of 37% that the tests were different.

# The Dance Residency program brought two dance companies, Miami City Ballet and Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels to campus. Dance students who were involved in taking classes, performance production as well as incorporating their experiences into class work, reported changes in perceptions and commitment to dance on questionnaires. Students and faculty involved in the Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels residency developed new perceptions of the abilities of people with disabilities in addition to a broader understanding of what dance can entail.

2. To improve students communications and critical thinking skills

# A web page has been developed as a basic resource for individuals across the university community. A course on Emerging Diseases will be offered in the spring in a web-based format. The ground work has been laid for the Fall 1999 Common Hour series entitled AIDS: Beyond the Red Ribbon. This project has been granted an extension since many of the resources developed will be used as part of this Common Hour project.

# Seventeen of 227 students targeted for assistance due to low scores on the Iowa Silent Reading Test participated in the reading assistance program. Seven others self-referred or were referred by faculty or staff. Results varied between the Fall and Spring groups. In the fall, the targeted who attended were less apt to be retained than those who did not (63% to 72%); in the spring, the opposite was true (100% to 71%). All students who participated in the Fall program and were retained had a GPA >2.0, but only 44% did in the spring.

# An individual was hired to begin the development of the Communication Across the Curriculum project including the preparation of a request for FFR funds for three years to pilot the project.

2. To promote student success

# All five colleges and 31 departments/majors were represented by student research projects in the 7th Annual Southeast Missouri State University Student Research Conference. The audience for the SRC‑7 sessions was maintained at a minimum of 15‑20 per sessions but most sessions had significantly more. One MACC student project was presented at the conference. Although no student work was presented from Three Rivers Community College, one student did attend the conference for the purpose of reporting to her campus what we are doing at our conference, and for encouraging TRCC students to submit their work for presentation next year.

# In the fall 109 new students participated in six FLighTs, along with 18 faculty members and six peer mentors. One FLight which had a small enrollment was offered in the spring. Sixty-two percent of the students were retained from fall to fall, compared to 70.6% for all first year students. The FLighT students had a GPA of 2.52 the first semester, which was consistent with the non‑FLighT first‑time full‑time students. Students reported being more connected to the University and having an increased confidence level about college. The FLighT program was just awarded the 1998‑99 CSRDE (Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange) Effective Retention Program Award, and the 1998‑99 ACPA Model Program Award .

# Forty students met the criterion to be included in the retention program for at‑risk criminal justice students. Four students had failed WPOO3, and thirty‑six had a GPA of 2.000 or below. Following the interventions, the cumulative ending GPA mean had increased 14.6% from 1.667 to 1.842. The paired difference was statistically significant with a probability for the two‑tailed test of p< .009 (t‑value = ‑2.75 1; df = 35). More than three fourths (79.4%) of the group showed improvement in GPAs, with another 13.9% experiencing no change in their GPAs. The four students who participated in the program's Field Essay Intervention, took the Writing Exam again and passed.

# The project to provide under prepared students the opportunity to improve their academic skills and gain admittance to the University received an extension so final results have not been reported. However, preliminary results indicate seventeen students registered for the 1998 Academy. Five Academy Interns were hired and completed three weeks of intensive training and have continued to exhibit enthusiasm, experience, flexibility, creativity and insight as they have taken on ever‑increasing roles in curriculum development and lesson planning.

E. Lessons Learned

I. Multiple Teaching and Learning Projects

A. Descriptive listing

FY1999 Projects

(Funded July 1998 to have been completed by July 1999

(Those with a X in the first column have received an extension

and will be completed by July 2000)

	Applicant(s)	Department	Title of Project	Amount
	Cheryl Kieffer	Nursing	Experiential Learning of Dysrythmias Diagnosis and Rx Through Virtual Practicums	$10,700.00
	Kevin Anderson	Elementary, Early and Special Education	Enhanced Technology Experiences for Block III Elementary Education Students	$9,630.00
	Ernest Kern	Geosciences	Project StarLab	$21,350.00
	Sophia Hadjian	Communication Disorders	An Expanded Laboratory for Augmentative/Alternative Communication	$28,756.00
X	Shaunna McGhie	Physical Education	Analysis of Movement Skills	$19,085.00
	Fred Janzow	Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning	Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Course Home Pages	$6,080.00
X	Walt Lilly and Allen Gathman	Biology	Investigative Experiences in Molecular Biology	$20,345.00
	Carol Morrow	Sociology/ Anthropology	Breaking Down Stereotypes: Real Indians/Real People	$17,308.00
	Richard Cannon	Physics	Using Calculator-Based-Labs to Integrate Physical Science to Students' Every Day Experiences	$9,160.00
	Marc Strauss	Physical Education	Dance Residency Program	$30,000.00
X	Christina Frazier	University Studies	University Studies Objectives as a Framework for the Integration of HIV/AIDS Issues into the Curriculum	$2,278.00
	Nancy Blattner and Jake Gaskins	Writing Assessment/ Writing Outcomes	Southeast Reading Assistance Program	$6,524.00
	Fred Janzow	Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning	Oral Communication Across the Curriculum	$16,600.00
	Martha Zlokovich	Psychology	7th Annual Student Research Conference	$5,900.00
	Karen Myers and Dale Haskell	New Student Programs/ University Studies	First-Year Learning Teams	$17,225.00
	John Wade and Linda Ferrell	Criminal Justice	Retention Program for At-Risk Criminal Justice Students	$10,850.00
X	Kerry Wynn	Campus Assistance Center	University Preparatory Academy Intern Program	$8,360.00
			TOTAL	$240,151.00

B. Abstracts of FY1999 Projects

To use technology to enhance active learning

Experiential Learning of Dysrythmias Diagnosis and Rx Through Virtual Practicums

The goal of this project is to provide all nursing students the opportunity to analyze abnormal assessments in a realistic yet safe simulated environment via interactive CD‑ ROM, so that they can accurately diagnose and treat real patients in clinical settings by enhancing their ability to conduct comprehensive physical assessments, recognize abnormalities, then refer or treat depending on educational level and experience. Currently, assessment labs are taught via didactic content, video, and peer/model practice. The Data Star CD‑ROM series is meant to complement and further the capabilities of the Life ‑Care models currently used. The Data Star CD‑ROM program offers interactive learning in which students see, hear, analyze, and treat a variety of pathological conditions. The programs actively encourage the student to critically differentiate normal from abnormal, and to evaluate the seriousness and immediacy in the need to treat. The programs are particularly useful for assessment skills and laboratory analysis that require “drill and practice,” content such as cardiac arrhythmias and EKG reading, and microscopic cell identification. The control group will be traditionally taught using a guest speaker with six hours of didactic content as has been the previous technique for presentation. The experimental group will complete the five CD ROM package related to dysrythmia recognition and treatment. The two groups will be given the same examinations and the scores will be compared.

Enhanced Technology Experiences for Block III Elementary Education Students

This project was designed to provide on‑going, enhanced hands‑on experiences with computer technology for Block III students training to become elementary teachers. Because of the wide disparity in both the expertise of cooperating teachers concerning computer usage and the availability of computers for classroom instruction in the schools utilized for Block III experiences, most of the students do not observe instruction occurring on computers other than for occasional drill and practice exercises on older machines (Apple IIes) or networked IBM‑compatibles in labs. Experiences with newer CD‑ROMs and Internet software are generally unavailable due to the state of the hardware in nearby elementary schools. Students are exposed to some educational software for teaching skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, and multimedia during the Block III courses, but this knowledge is rarely carried over into usage during the field experiences because of the lack of equipment. This project will provide instruction in integrating technology into elementary classrooms and enable Block III students to: learn characteristics of exemplary software for the elementary grades; learn appropriate methods for integrating and utilizing computers in schools; practice using the hardware and software shown during Block III as part of the field experience in area schools; critique the software and the teaching methods employed to determine the appropriateness of such instruction in the schools for learners of different abilities; design and implement computer‑aided lessons and/or activities for both regular and exceptional needs students during the field experience; and write software, hardware, and methodology reviews for inclusion in a technology newsletter which will be sent to area elementary schools for use by classroom teachers.

Project StarLab

StarLab is a state‑of‑the‑art portable planetarium that utilizes and promotes experiential learning. Consisting of an inflatable 18‑foot diameter dome that can accommodate up to 30 students, StarLab is a precise, interactive planetarium that uses a high‑tech, yet easy to operate, projection system to display brilliant images with results very similar to that in an actual planetarium. A variety of interchangeable projection cylinders are available, giving StarLab broad applications in a variety of disciplines in addition to space science. Examples of topics for which projection cylinders are available include: simple to advanced star fields; urban star fields; constellations; deep‑space objects; stars and Greek, American Indian, African, and Chinese mythologies; planets of the solar system; moon phases; ocean currents; weather; plate tectonics; and cell biology. The goals or objectives of Project StarLab are to: make StarLab available to university faculty for use in the teaching of StarLab topics; expand the university's service mission by making StarLab available to elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the southeast Missouri region; provide training to regional K‑12 teachers and university personnel in the operation and use of StarLab as a teaching and learning tool; enhance the teaching effectiveness of StarLab practitioners at the university and K‑12 levels. The project's university‑component would cross departmental and college lines by impacting students in at least thirteen courses in eight departments and the Colleges of Science and Technology, Education and Liberal Arts. Planetarium experiences to supplement teaching and learning have never been available to students at Southeast Missouri State University. StarLab, although used extensively in Illinois for the past ten years, has not been available for use in schools in southeast Missouri. This project would make StarLab a viable option for teachers and students at the University and in regional schools.

Analysis of Movement Skills

Research has shown that teaching preservice teachers qualitative skill analysis by means of visual‑ discrimination training significantly increases their ability to correctly analyze skills. Visual‑discrimination training utilizes video taped skill demonstrations that identify critical performance features of a skill. The project will utilize newly available technology to facilitate discrimination of critical performance features, helping students make accurate skill analysis and give effective feedback. It will also involve students in the use of cutting‑edge technology as they assist with videotaping, scripting , editing and working with children on and off the set. Four videotapes and four interactive CD‑ROM disks will be produced using the same fundamental scripts and video of children performing the designated skill. One video and one CD‑ROM will focus on throwing, a second will focus on catching, a third on running, and the fourth on horizontal jumping.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Course Home Pages

Course web pages increase faculty interaction with the students, promote new thinking about course content and delivery, and provide a tool for easier management of some course components (e.g., electronic grade books; on‑line submission of assignments). Students benefit from substantially increased access to course materials, much greater convenience in obtaining course information and submitting assignments, a positive impact on learning course information and concepts, and increased interaction between themselves and their peers and instructors. This project will support faculty development efforts focused on helping faculty create course web pages by providing funds for student labor necessary to assist faculty with programming and graphics needed to produce course web pages.

to provide experiential learning opportunities

Investigative Experiences in Molecular Biology

The principal goal of this project is to provide a more fully experiential learning environment for biology majors with an interest in genetics, microbiology, molecular biology and biotechnology. Molecular Biology Investigations is envisioned to be an open‑ended laboratory which will emphasize individual experience in basic methods of molecular biology, data analysis, and subsequent investigational design based on each student's own data. As far as possible the course will mimic a real, long‑term laboratory investigation. In a real research situation, there are too many potential dead‑ends and failed experiments that require considerable time and effort to overcome. An experimental system that will limit the number of possible dead‑ends, and preclude failed experiments as much as possible will be designed and built. Each student will be provided with an unknown (to the student) purified protein and which he/she will clone and characterize the gene for it.

Breaking Down Stereotypes: 'Real Indians' / Real People

Although many of the students at Southeast Missouri State have some degree of Native American ancestry, particularly Cherokee, few of them have any actual experience with or knowledge of modern day Native American people. In pretest evaluations students reveal stereotypic views of 'Indians"such as, "Indians have dark skin and dark eyes.” In exam questions dealing with Native American dental patterns, consistent answers include “their teeth are pointed and sharp,” “their teeth are much bigger and flatter,” or “they have really big canines." The use of videos and guest lecturers help break down these stereotypes and distorted perspectives, but the opportunity to interact with Native Americans in traditional activities would greatly enhance understanding of “Real Indians" as real people. The purpose of this proposed project is to give students an opportunity to become involved in activities and events with Native Americans by participating in the second “SEMO POWWOW” co‑hosted with the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory. This event, and the activities around it, provided the opportunities for student research, interaction, and experiential learning. Indian Powwows are not entertainment events. They are a complex mix of politics, ceremony, religion, etiquette, pageantry and dance. Baseline data exists in the form of pre and post tests administered to previous classes. The same set of pre and post tests will be administered to the classes after this year’s experiences. Student reflective essays will assess their own view of the experience.

Using Calculator-Based-Labs to Integrate Physical Science to

Students' Every Day Experiences Physics

Providing experiential‑intensive laboratories in Physics has been a costly proposition. At the freshman level, providing materials for open‑ended experiences, required large amounts of equipment that had to be used in the confines of a fixed laboratory room. However, due to the recent advent of powerful, reasonably priced calculators with graphical capabilities and input ports, a new type of laboratory experience is available to the student. The commercially available calculator‑based‑ laboratory equipment (CBL) is easy to learn and mobile. Using CBL, the students are not restricted to the classroom but can move into the real world and collect and manipulate data the same way that professional physicists do at a fraction of the cost. Students in two sections of PH106 (Physical Concepts) will perform seven CBL laboratories. The control section will use traditional laboratory methods. Students in both groups will be administered pre and post tests on the material covered in the laboratory exercises.

Dance Residency Program

Future teachers and performers in dance markedly improve their skills through strong experiential learning components associated with professional touring, teaching, and performing artists. Furthermore, observing, rehearsing, and working closely with ethnically diverse professionals may increase the probability of retention of students from under represented areas. The purposes of this project are to: improve the learning and performance skills of dance students; increase the breadth and diversity of the students’ knowledge base; and improve recruitment and retention of under represented students. The above goals will be addressed through intensive dance residencies, comprised of predominantly under represented, ethnically diverse populations‑‑Miami City Ballet (Hispanic), and Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels (abled/disabled). The recurrence of repertory rehearsals, workshops, lecture‑demonstrations, master classes, and performances throughout the academic year will provide the developing dance professional with an indelible educational experience. The analysis of the outcomes will entail a categorized compilation of the reports and responses to the questionnaire, in‑class discussions, roundtable talks, and written and oral work.

to improve communications and critical thinking skills

University Studies Objectives as a Framework for the Integration

of HIV/AIDS Issues into the Curriculum

The integration of HIV into the liberal arts curriculum has the potential to elicit engaged participation by students as current issues with personal and societal relevance are addressed. As they explore the complex questions raised and problems generated by HIV/AIDS, students will have diverse opportunities to practice the critical thinking, valuing, and communication skills associated with a liberal education. Students will also be faced with issues that cannot be addressed effectively within the limits of a narrow discipline and may gain an appreciation for the benefits of the cross disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary thinking associated with liberal studies. If we are successful in integrating HIV into the curriculum, the students will benefit from the knowledge, skills, and insights they have developed as they make decisions that will affect their personal lives and influence their actions as members of their chosen professions and active citizens of their local communities, nations, and world. Two key elements of the program are the development of modules, addressing specific University Studies objectives, for use in GS 101 and establishment of an HIV/AIDS resource center and web page available to students, faculty and staff.

Southeast Reading Assistance Program

The purpose of the project, is to address the needs of students who are targeted as needing reading assistance by their scores on a nationally‑normed reading test upon entrance to Southeast. The ultimate goal is to improve the students' reading skills through the creation of a reading assistance component of the Writing Center. All students who score below the 39th percentile on the Iowa Silent Reading Test (taken during First Step by students who have an ACT Reading subscore of 19 or below) will be notified of the reading tutorial support services offered by the Writing Center.

Oral Communication Across the Curriculum

This proposal relates to the theme of integrating professional education and skills‑based general education by addressing the oral communication objectives of University Studies. This proposal is offered after two previous successful FFR projects have clearly demonstrated that increased oral communication enhances the students’ abilities. Specifically, this proposal focus on the development of students' oral communication skills across the curriculum, and ways to assess those skills. Oral communication skills are fundamental to success in all walks of life and thus, are a key objective of the University Studies program. However, increasingly business and education leaders express concern that college graduates do not possess necessary oral skills. This proposal, therefore, deals with the question of how oral communication skills of Southeast Missouri State University students can be improved. A University‑wide survey will determine the instructor's perspectives of oral communication, as well as types and amount currently used. An extensive audit of five classes representing each college at the University will consist of surveys, interviews and direct observation of instructor and students. Students’ oral communication skills will be evaluated at the beginning and at the conclusion of Fundamentals of Oral Communication. Various nationally normed instruments will be used in conjunction with videotaping the student. A speech lab will be utilized to assist and tutor students in areas of oral communication. Five students from each section of SC105 will be chosen to participate in a treatment group. The treatment group will be tutored by trained speech seniors. At the conclusion of Phase 1, levels of oral communication competence of the treatment and non‑treatment groups will be evaluated and compared. The OCXC Director and Faculty Team will assist the Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning in working with ten faculty members teaching core University Studies classes.

to promote student success

7th Annual Student Research Conference

The Annual Southeast Missouri State University Student Research Conference provides the opportunity on campus for students from all disciplines to present their research projects to the entire campus community. There are five primary goals of the Seventh conference. The first is to encourage Southeast students from across campus, both undergraduate and graduate, to present their research in a professional manner. The second goal is to encourage students who are not presenting research to attend the conference in order to inspire them to collaborate with faculty on research, to consider becoming a presenter in the future, and to provide them with the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of their classmates and the value of making presentations of one's work. The third goal is broaden the scope of the conference to include students from two community colleges which already have ties to Southeast through both location and articulation agreements. Students from Mineral Area Community College and Three Rivers Community College will be invited to submit abstracts of their work and to present papers or posters at the conference. The fourth goal also involves broadening the scope of the conference to high school students. As a means of reaching out to the community as well as potential Southeast students, we will invite local high school students and their teachers to attend the conference. In particular, high school seniors who are dual enrolled in at least one college course will be encouraged to present their research. The fifth goal is to reward students for outstanding research. Students may compete for the Best Paper and Best Poster awards in either the undergraduate or graduate student categories.

First-Year Learning Teams

The purposes of the First‑year Learning Team (FLighT) program are to improve the academic and social integration of first‑year students, to enhance their academic performance, to expand their intellectual skills early on, to foster strong relationships among them and their instructors, to improve retention, and to increase their persistence‑to‑graduation rate. Eighteen faculty members and six peer mentors have agreed to participate in six FLighTs comprised of 25 first semester first‑year students, both commuter and residential, who are enrolled in three cluster courses simultaneously. FLighT members who live on campus reside together. The Peer Mentor and the GS 101 instructor are the first‑year student's "significant others" guaranteed by the University, i.e., people who care about you and your success ‑‑ people with whom you can "connect" (Gardner, 1991). Expected outcomes include: first‑year students will become identified with a group of fellow students in three courses and be able to adjust to college life more effectively with this support group; greater learning will occur because of increased ability to understand themes and topics from a variety of disciplinary perspectives; more participation and greater personal involvement in learning and peer teaching will be fostered through the interactions facilitated by FLighTs; students will have enhanced understanding of the content and intellectual processes of the several disciplines from which the unifying theme is approached, and an earlier application of the value of interdisciplinary study and pluralistic perspectives; and higher retention of first‑year students who participate in FLighTs and better overall performance will occur in comparison with first‑year students who do not participate.

Retention Program for At-Risk Criminal Justice Students

The goal of this program is to increase the retention rate of at‑risk criminal justice majors. A significant number of criminal justice majors are on academic probation and are deemed vulnerable to attrition. A substantial number of majors have failed the University's mandated 75‑hour Writing Proficiency Exam. This group poses a significant risk of attrition because those who fail the exam are at risk of not being considered as candidates for graduation. The goal to increase the retention rate of criminal justice majors will be accomplished through increasing both the GPAs of program participants and the number of criminal justice students who pass the Writing Proficiency Exam. Specific interventions include participation in a Field Essay Assignment after visiting a criminal justice-related agency, and observing a professional utilizing written communication skills; Writing Proficiency Exam Workshop; and an in‑depth interview and regular meetings with the program coordinator to discuss reasons for poor academic performances and available campus resources.

University Preparatory Academy Intern Program

The University Preparatory Academy, which provides under prepared students the opportunity to improve their academic skills and gain admittance to the University, continues to be a meaningful program for both the Academy Students and the Academy Interns. The Academy Interns are now, and will continue to be a, key element in the effectiveness of the program. They meet with each of their students individually and with small groups for tutorial activities and to develop a support group. This project will provide training to the Interns in micro‑counseling skills, teaching methods, study skills, ways to cope with test anxiety, tutoring mathematics, writing papers, grading, academic advising, learning styles, University support services, leadership, diversity, the philosophy of higher education and the history of Southeast Missouri State University.

I. Total Allocation from State for FY99 Campus Teaching and Learning projects		$252,560.00
A. Total Seed Money		$101,546.89
1. Personnel	$45,887.97
2. Equipment	$22,999.97
3. Publications	$4,726.40
4. Assessment Instruments
5. Professional Development	$11,871.25
6. Other	$16,061.30
Total	$101,546.89

B. Total Performance Money		$114,529.71
1. Personnel	$17,044.93
2. Equipment	$48,130.18
3. Publications	$524.46
4. Assessment Instruments	$5,000.17
5. Professional Development	$12,062.99
6. Other	$31,766.98
Total	$114,529.71

C. Other Expenditures of FY98 FFR Campus Allocation		$36,483.40
1. Travel for students to attend conferences and make professional presentations	$13,580.00
2. Operations (inc. duplicating, advertising, supplies, etc.)	$22,903.40
Total	$36,483.40

C. Objectives